khaki
/ˈkɑː.ki/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.04 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A strong cloth of wool or cotton, often used for military or other uniforms.
Countable; Uncountable
adj
Dust-coloured; of the colour of dust.
Example Sentences
- "When you've shouted "Rule Britannia", when you've sung "God Save The Queen", When you've finished killing Kruger with your mouth; Will you kindly drop a shilling in my little tambourine For a gentleman in khaki ordered South?"
- "But being the right shade of khaki or shit-brown is not enough."
- "1921, War work of the Bureau of Standards, no. 46, page 54. The English Government for a long time has used a type of pigmented dope cover, khaki colored by iron pigments and lampblack, which is called P. C. 10."
- "2007, Yuji Matsuki, American Fighters Over Europe: Colors & Markings of USAAF Fighters in WWII, page 4, →ISBN. At the end of World War I, the U.S. Army Air Service painted everything khaki. This khaki was practically the same as British PC10 and can be considered the basis of the later olive drab color."
- "In these notes we have used the British rather than the US terms for colours: i.e. 'khaki' here means the drab brown - US 'olive drab' - used for woolen uniforms and 'khaki drill' for the pale yellowish tan - US 'khaki' - used for lightweight summer/tropical dress."
- "The very loose seroual trousers were made in both sand-khaki drill, and in winter-weight khaki wool for wear with the M1946 battledress blouse."
Etymology
Borrowed from Hindustani خاکی (xākī) / ख़ाकी (xākī), from Classical Persian خَاکِی (xākī, “dusty, earthy, earth-colored”). Noun sense 5 was coined in reference to the colour of the uniform of British troops during the Second Boer War; compare rooinek.
Word Breakdown
- Root: خَاکِی
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkɑː.ki/
- British English: /ˈkɑː.ki/